12 Great Hive Inspection Questions to Ask

I’ll be totally honest—tomorrow is my first official hive inspection, and I’m both excited and a little nervous. I’ve watched the YouTube videos, listened to the podcasts, and flipped through my beekeeping books, and still feel like I will fumble my way through it.

That’s okay, though, because beekeeping is one of those things you learn as you go. Get hands-on with your bees. The best place to start is with a list of hive inspection questions to help guide the process.

So, here’s my pre-inspection checklist—broken down into categories to help me (and maybe you!) feel a little more confident before cracking open that hive.

General Hive Inspection Questions

Time of Day:

Bees are calmer and less likely to be home mid-morning to early afternoon, especially on sunny days when foragers are out doing their thing. I plan to go out around 10 a.m., after the day has warmed up but before the winds pick up. If you go too late or early in the day, the hive might be fuller and understandably more defensive.

Weather:

Bees hate rain and cold. A sunny, wind-free day with temperatures above 60°F is ideal.

Here in Texas, wind can be unpredictable, so I’ll be watching that closely as well. Hive inspections stress the colony out a bit, so you want to minimize the disturbance.

How long has it been since my last inspection?

The goal is to inspect every 7 to 10 days during the active season (spring through summer). Any longer and a swarm could sneak up on you, or pest or disease issues might get worse.

Too often, you might disrupt the hive unnecessarily.

Hive Inspection Questions for the Queen

Is she present?

This is the big one. I hope to spot her, but realistically, I may not, especially since this is my first time.

That’s okay—as long as I see fresh eggs, I can safely assume she’s around and doing her job (eggs look like tiny grains of rice standing upright in the bottom of the cell).

How is the brood pattern?

I’ll look for a solid pattern of capped brood with very few empty cells in between—think of it like a tight, healthy quilt.

Spotty brood might indicate that the queen isn’t laying properly or that there’s a pest or disease issue.

Do the cells look healthy?

Capped brood should be flat and tan, not sunken, perforated, or discolored. Larvae should be white and curled up like a little “C.”

Anything funky-looking might be a sign of disease (like chalkbrood or foulbrood), and I’ll take a photo or video to research later.

Are there any queen cells?

This is a big one based on everything I’ve seen in Facebook Groups!

Queen cells indicate a few things: the colony might be preparing to swarm, trying to replace a failing queen (supersedure), or there may have been a queenless period.

I’ll note how many, where they are (bottom of the frame vs. middle), and what stage they’re in.

Post Inspection Note: I did not do this and I feel extremely guilty. I didn't realize you need to shake the bees off their frames to find out if there are any queen cells. Everything looked good so I'm going to *try* to wait until this Friday to re-do this portion of my inspection.

Colony Health Hive Inspection Questions

Are there any signs of disease or pests?

I’m mainly looking for signs of varroa mites, deformed wings, or hive beetles.

Another hive inspection questions I’m asking is do I see any signs of mold, poop stains (which could be dysentery), or anything else that looks “off.”

How is the colony acting towards me? Is this normal?

Are they calm? Buzzing? Dive-bombing me? Temperament matters. Calm bees are a good sign; if they seem aggressive, they might be queenless—or it might be just a bad inspection day.

This is my second time doing things that might frustrate the bees and so far they've been very calm. I will say, I highly recommend Round Rock Honey bees. They've been great!

Are there any unusual signs?

This could be anything from oddly built comb to strange smells.

Total side note, but my favorite beekeeping podcast recommends knowing what normal looks like for a colony. That way, when it's abnormal, you'll know and can then diagnose!

Hive Inspection Questions About Spacing and Storing

Is there enough honey stored?

I want to see capped honey at the top of the brood frames and maybe some nectar down in the corners. In early spring, I’m mostly checking to see if they have enough food to keep going.

One thing new beekeepers should be aware of is that they are not going to be able to produce their own honey in that first year (more than likely).

How is their spacing?

This one of the hive inspection questions is essential because it prevents swarming.

If 80% of the frames in the box are drawn out and full (of brood, nectar, or pollen), it’s time to add another box. Bees like to move up, not out, so I’ll watch for crowding at the top frames.

I’m planning to do two brood boxes and two supers. I won’t go very tall, freaks me out, especially with the winds we get here in Texas.

Final Thoughts on Hive Inspection Questions

Who knows? I may develop more questions as I learn about my hive and its needs. As always, you’ll be the first to know!

Want to know more about what’s going on in our neck of the woods? Be sure to check out these posts!